Stump-burner.



A. s. eoonwm & c. 0. Hum).-

STUMP BURNER. APPUCATION mm APR. 30. 1911.

1,251,653. Patented Jan.1,1918

Swuamtoz I 1 14 Charles C Head ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT s. GOOIDWIN ANDOHARLES o. HURD, or TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

STUMP-ZBUIRNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 30, 1917. Serial No. i'fifl.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALBERT S. GoonwIN and CHARLES C. HURD, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Tacoma, county of Pierce, and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stump-Burners, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to stump burners and consists of an apparatus to be employed in the destruction of stumps by fire. The object of our invention is to produce an apparatus of small first cost, light in weight, which is simple and easy to handle, and which may be operated to economically and effectively dispose of large stumps. Other objects may be seen from inspection ofthe following specification and claims and the accompanying drawing.

Our invention comprises the novel parts and combinations thereof which will be hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing we have shown our invention embodied in the form of construction which we now most prefer to use. Ve are, however, aware that the details of construction of the device may be changed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our device showing it in use upon a stump, the stump being shown in section, and the conditions which exist at the time of first starting its use.

Fig. 2 is a section on a larger scale showing the outer end of the device and the adjacent surface of the stump.

Fig. 3 is a separate view of the cap which may be employed for closing the outer end of the device during the later stages of the operation thereof.

In the drawing, 1 represents a stump, this being herein shown in cross section. In first starting the use of our device we produce a hole in the stump. This is ordinarily done by using an auger or an equivalent boring apparatus. As the boring apparatus forms no part of our present invention this has not been illustrated. Any suitable boring apparatus may be employed. By the use of such an apparatus, the hole, as the hole 2, is formed extending into the stump. The location of this and its depth will depend upon such particular considerations,-as the condition and the shape of the stump, the localt'ilgn or the larger lateral rodt sj'iiia the 1 e'. a WVhen, the hole in the stum has been Patented Jan. 1.1918. F

formed, the iiiiainbocl'y of the stump burner,

which consists of the pipes, is'jinserted in this hole. This pipe should not extend quite to the bottom of the hole bntshould stop at such a point as to permit free communicae tion between the inside of the pipe and the hole. v The pipe also should be :of sufliciently smaller size than the hole to; leave a space about the pipe sufii'cient to renal a freecirculation passage'for air and gases. [Thishas been indicated by the. relative sizes of the pipe and the hole in Fig. 2..

The uter and or the pip s is iidlvided with means whereby a draft may be induced 111 t P P?- 1 th op ra ion o st tingth fire this draft should be outward in the pipe. The an and gases carried by the pipe would first have to flow down the hole in the stump and outside the pipe, entering the pipe at its inner end, then flowing upward in the pipe and discharge at the outer end of the pipe. The arrows in Fig. 2 show the course of the gases at this stage.

A convenient way of inducing this draft in the pipes is herein shown. The means shown comprise a head 4 which is secured to the outer end of the pipe and which has a discharge opening 40. Forming a part of, or used in conjunction with this head, is a blast nozzle, so placed as to discharge through the discharge opening 40, to thereby induce a flow of air in the pipe 3. Such a nozzle is shown at 41, this being so placed and shaped as to direct the blast of air upward and outward through the opening 40. This nozzle is supplied from a sleeve 42 which is adapted to receive the end of a pipe 5, such pipe being preferably of rubber or other flexible material. This pipe leads to any suitable source of supply of air, such for instance, as a blower 6.

By the means described, an outward draft in the pipe 3 may be secured in order to ignite the stump. Fire is produced in any convenient -manner at the outer end of the hole in the stump. This may be done by building a small fire out of Wood, or it may be done by applying any kind of a torch to the stump at this point, as for instance, a torch using oil as fuel. The manner of producing this fire is immaterial. In Fig. 1 We have shown a small ledge 7 which may be of the nature of an iron plate or casting, which is supported against the face of the stump and which forms a base upon which the fire may be built.

With fire applied to the stump around the opening of the hole 2, and an outward draft produced in the pipe 3, the fire will be drawn into the hole, igniting the walls of the hole until i is ignited to its lower end. \Vhen this result has been secured the operation of the device is then changed. This change is of such character as to reverse the direction of draft in the device so that instead of the air flowing'outward through the pipe 3, it flows inward therein. This may be done by stopping the discharge opening 40, as by the insertion of a cap or plug, such as the plug 8 shown in Fig. 8, and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. When this is done, the air supply will be directed inward and discharged at the lower end of the hole 2.

The same result may, however, be secured by the removal'of the device illustrated and the substitution therefor of any form of blast pipe through which air is forced. By,

applying air under pressure in this manner to the interior of the stump, the greatest combustion will occur at the bottom of the hole 2, and the result will be the gradual formation of a chamber, this chamber continuing outward until it breaks through the Walls of the stump. The blast pipe may be shifted as necessary, to concentrate the fire at the points where the more rapid combustion is desired and in this way the roots of the stump may be largely removed.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A stump burning device comprising a blast pipe adapted to enter a hole formed in the stump, means for inducing a draft of air in said pipe, and means for reversing the direction of said draft.

2. A stump burning device comprising a pipe, a head secured on one end of said pipe and containing a discharge opening and nozzle discharging into said head in a manner to induce discharge through said open ing and means for closing the discharge at this end of the pipe.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 25th day of April, 1917.

ALBERT S. GOODWIN. CHAS. C. HURD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

